Syllabus/Contract for HIST 152

U.S. History, 1865 to the Present

Summer 2015July 20-August 15

OFFICE HOURS: I am available most quickly by email, but I am happy to make an appointment to meet face-to-face. I have availability almost every weekday. Please email to set up an appointment.

Office: 391 HoltonOffice Phone: 229-4531 (I am in my office irregularly)

email: (I am online almost every day)

A Brief Description of HIST 152

This is a beginning-level survey course on the history of the United States between the end of the Civil War (1865) and the near-present (2010+), taught fully online. There are no face-to-face meetings required.

The course is designed for maximum schedule flexibilityfor students, and has only 1 due date: January 22. Between January 5 and January 22, students can work at their own pace to complete and submit assignments.

No history course is able to take up all historical events that could be covered within its allotted geographical area and time period. A 100-level “survey” (like this course) is the type of history course that is most broad in its scope, covering the longer time periods, and is the least “detailed” in its chronology. The major goal of the course is to increase the student’s capacities for making informed evaluations of historical trends, events, and interpretations, as well as increasing the student’s understanding of the complexities and varieties of collective human experiences in the US during the last 150 years. The course will work toward an awareness of general historical issues such as context, causes and consequences, change and continuity over time, and the transformation of social-historical identities: individual, group, and national. We will also explore some of theassumptions, concepts, and methods of historical research as well as the uses and abuses of US history.

Required Textbook(purchase, borrow, rent, etc.)

Eric Foner, Give Me Liberty! 4rdSeagull edition,Volume 2

An order for textbooks for this class was placed at People’s Book Cooperative:

The 4rdSeagull edition of Give Me Liberty! is a widely adopted textbook that can be purchased in several different locations and on the web. Students are encouraged to seek out vendors that best suit their needs. Any of the different formats of the 4rd edition will do, but the Seagull edition format is the least expensive print format. Earlier editions (e.g. 2nd, 3rd)do not contain some materials that will appear on exams. See next page for .jpg of front cover.

Goals for the course

  1. Examine and interpret the past as a collective but conflicted social process occurring across several generations. In what ways does the past 150 years of US history have significant meaning for contemporary life?
  2. Explain a basic chronological development of major historical events and trends in the US after 1865. What are the most important (and interesting) events in economic, political, diplomatic, military, religious, social, and cultural history during this 150-year period?
  3. Describe, analyze, and interpret historical ideas, events, trends, and long-term processes in their complex social and historical contexts, including the evaluation of multiple interpretations and viewpoints. The meaning of history is always up for debate. How are the major US historical events narrated, interpreted, and debated among historians, and why are they important?
  4. Write descriptively, analytically, and persuasively (using evidence to make an argument), with clarity, conciseness, and cogency. Place historical events within a reasonable interpretation of US history; make arguments, based on events, details, and trends, about the social meanings of US history.
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Overall course requirements (Final due date for all work is due August 15)

  • 14 (Fourteen) Objective Exams. Each Objective Exam coversonetextbook chapter. Each ObjectiveExam consists of 15 multiple choice and 5 T-F questions for a total of 20 questions for each exam. The Objective Exams have a 30-minute time limit.Study sheets covering most of the major questions and topics on the Objective Exams are provided for each chapter to facilitate student learning. Students may takean Objective exam at any time they like, and may re-take the exam up to FIVE (5) times. The highest score attained on any test by the module’s due-datewill be the recorded grade for that test. Questions on each exam attempt are randomly selected by D2L from a bank of approximately 100 questions for each exam. The Objective Exams are 25% of the final grade. D2L automatically grades and reports these to the Grades section of D2L.
  • 1 Essay Exam. No retakes. 4 questions will be offered to the student; student selects 2 (TWO) questions and writes an essay for each question.The 4 questions are randomly selected by D2L from a bank of approximately 20 questions covering several chapters.All of the possible questions (the entire essay test bank) are available now in the essay exam study sheet on D2L. The grading sheet/guidelines used in grading exams are available to students on D2L – these are useful to understand what I value in these essays, and how much. Students may take the essay exam at any time they like before the deadline, but there is ONLY ONE ATTEMPT allowed. The Essay Exam constitutes 40% of the final grade. Joe grades these, using the evaluation sheet.
  • 30 written postings to the discussion boards. Each post is worth a possible 5 points and must meet necessary criteria to be eligible for full credit, including a minimum length. These criteria are available on the course D2L site. The 30 written postings in total make up 30% of the final grade. Joe participates in these discussions and grades them intermittently, but provides feedback for those that do not meet all criteria during the early part of the course.
  • Reading 150 postings of other students. D2L reports these to Joe, who records them in the Grades section. Reading discussion posts constitute 5% of the final grade.

Emergency situations and University Policies

Emergency situations will be handled on an individual basis, but be aware that some sort of evidence that an emergency actually existed will be required. Student athletes, students with disabilities, or students with other kinds of situations that might make meeting deadlines or criteria difficult should see me no later than the third class session to make necessary arrangements. For policies concerning students with disabilities, religious observances, students called to military duty, complaint procedures, grade appeal procedures, and final exams, please see:

Incompletes/Extra Credit

All assignments must be completed to receive a passing grade. No incompletes (“I”) for the course will be allowed. There is NO EXTRA CREDIT available in this course.

ACADEMIC ETHICS and MISCONDUCT<

Students are required to download, read, enter their name and student ID # to verify their understanding, and return this statementto me () before taking the Essay Exam.

I supply this statement in a separate document, available on D2L.

In cases of Academic Misconduct, I will fail the student for the course, and write a letter to the Degree Dean asking that the student be expelled from the University. I have written more than 25 of these letters since 2006, more than one per semester. No exceptions.

The UWM Academic Misconduct Webpage is:

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